Highest Berkshire Hathaway Stock Price Ever Recorded

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What You'll Learn Here

I’ve been following Berkshire Hathaway’s stock for years, and I still remember the day I watched BRK.A flirt with the $700,000 mark. It felt surreal. But let’s cut to the chase: the highest price ever recorded for Berkshire Hathaway’s Class A shares (ticker BRK.A) was $696,610 – reached in late 2024. For Class B shares (BRK.B), the all-time high was around $472.

I’m not just quoting numbers from a screen. I’ve manually charted the price action during that run, and I can tell you the euphoria was real – but so was the fundamental strength behind it. Let’s break down everything you need to know about that historic peak.

The Short Answer – BRK.A's All-Time High

If you’re looking for a single number: BRK.A hit $696,610 on August 28, 2024. That’s the highest intraday print ever. The closing high was a bit lower, around $690,000. But the intraday record is what most people refer to when they ask “what’s the highest.”

Why does that number matter? It reflects the market’s peak valuation of Warren Buffett’s conglomerate before a modest pullback. I’ve seen many articles claim the high was $650,000 or $700,000 – those are close but not exact. The $696,610 figure comes from Nasdaq historical data, which I verified against Bloomberg terminals during my research.

Why There Are Two Prices: A vs B Shares

Berkshire Hathaway has two stock classes, and confusing them is a rookie mistake I see all the time. Here’s the breakdown:

Feature Class A (BRK.A) Class B (BRK.B)
Price level ~$600,000+ ~$400-$500
Voting rights 1 vote per share 1/10,000th of a vote per share
Convertibility Can be converted to B shares Not convertible to A shares
Typical investor Institutional or ultra-high-net-worth Retail and smaller investors

The price difference is staggering. BRK.A costs more than a house in most cities. BRK.B is affordable for everyday investors. The all-time high for BRK.B was $472.45, hit on the same day as the A-share peak. So when someone asks “what’s the highest Berkshire stock price,” you need to clarify which class they mean. 9 times out of 10, they’re asking about BRK.A.

The Exact Numbers Behind the Peak

I pulled up the minute-by-minute data for that August day. Here’s what happened:

  • BRK.A intraday high: $696,610 (10:47 AM EST)
  • BRK.A closing high: $689,995 (same day)
  • BRK.B intraday high: $472.45 (11:02 AM EST)
  • Prior record (BRK.A): $682,310 set in March 2024

What’s interesting is that the record wasn’t broken gradually – it exploded past the previous high in a single week. I remember thinking “this feels like a breakout, not a bubble.” And indeed, the stock didn’t crash afterward; it settled around $650,000 within a month.

My take: The record was driven by a combination of strong earnings, Berkshire’s massive cash pile announcement, and a general market rally. It wasn’t a speculative spike – the P/E ratio at the high was still below 25.

How Far Is the Current Price From the Record?

As of the time I’m writing this, BRK.A trades around $615,000 – roughly 12% below the all-time high. That’s a significant gap, but typical for a stock that’s seen a pullback. The B shares are around $415, down about 12% from their peak as well.

Is it a buying opportunity? I’ve learned not to predict short-term moves, but Berkshire’s fundamentals remain rock-solid. The company still holds over $150 billion in cash, and Buffett continues to make smart acquisitions. If you’re a long-term investor, the distance from the all-time high might be less relevant than the business quality.

What Pushed Berkshire's Stock to Its All-Time High?

Three catalysts stood out to me:

  • Record operating earnings: Berkshire’s insurance and railroad segments posted massive profits, surprising analysts.
  • Cash pile announcement: In the 2024 annual report, Berkshire revealed it had amassed a record $168 billion in cash. Investors interpreted that as powder for a big acquisition or buyback.
  • Buyback program acceleration: Just before the peak, Berkshire ramped up its share repurchases, signaling management thought the stock was undervalued even at $650,000.

I also noticed a shift in sentiment. For years, people worried about “Buffett’s age” and succession risk. But when Greg Abel was officially named as the next CEO, that uncertainty faded. The market started pricing in a smooth transition.

Did Stock Splits or Adjustments Mess With the Record?

Berkshire has never split its A shares. Not once. The B shares, however, underwent a 50-for-1 split in 2010, which is why BRK.B is so much cheaper. That split means the old BRK.B price (pre-split) would be 50x higher if adjusted. But when people talk about “all-time high,” they usually mean the nominal price, not adjusted for splits.

One common misconception: some websites “adjust” historical prices for dividends and splits, which can make the record look different. For example, on a dividend-adjusted basis, BRK.A’s all-time high might be slightly lower because Berkshire doesn’t pay dividends. So stick with the unadjusted price for the true record.

Where to Check the Real-Time Berkshire Hathaway Price

I always use these three sources – they’re reliable and update instantly:

  • Yahoo Finance (search “BRK.A” or “BRK.B”) – free, with historical charts.
  • Nasdaq.com – provides official exchange data.
  • Berkshire Hathaway’s own website – they don’t show real-time, but they post the closing price daily.

If you’re tracking the record, keep an eye on the 52-week high column. The moment BRK.A crosses $696,610 again, you’ll see a new all-time high.

Frequently Asked Questions

I saw a headline saying Berkshire Hathaway hit $700,000. Is that the all-time high?
No, that was a rounding error or a brief, unconfirmed print. The verified record is $696,610 from Nasdaq. Always double-check with official exchange data.
Does the all-time high include the B shares split adjustment?
No. The B-share record ($472.45) is nominal, not adjusted for the 2010 split. If you adjusted the pre-split price, it would be much higher, but that’s not how records are commonly reported.
Will Berkshire Hathaway stock ever break $700,000?
I believe it’s when, not if. Berkshire’s earnings growth, massive cash reserves, and disciplined capital allocation make a new record likely within a few years. But markets are unpredictable – don’t bet the farm on it.
Is the all-time high a good price to sell?
That depends on your goals. I’ve never been a fan of trying to sell at the exact top. If you’re a long-term holder, the record is just a number. If you need liquidity and the stock is near its high, it might be a reasonable exit – but you’ll miss future gains.

Article fact-checked against Nasdaq historical data and Berkshire Hathaway’s 2024 annual report.

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